India bans instant divorce by Muslim men

India's government has approved an ordinance to implement a top court ruling striking down the Muslim practice that allows men to instantly divorce.

The government decision came Wednesday after it failed to get approval of India's Parliament a year after the court ruled that the practice of triple "talaq" violated the constitutional rights of Muslim women.

The government will have another six months to get Parliament's approval for the ordinance to become law. But in the meantime, suspects can be prosecuted using the ordinance.

Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by the Muslim Personal Law for family matters and disputes. The laws include allowing men to divorce by simply uttering the Arabic word "talaq," or divorce, three times.

Get the latest local and international news straight to your mobile phone for free: